Petition drive opposing state bid available at county DMV, County Clerk offices

November 28, 2012

Outrage over the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles $88.5 million bid award for driver's licenses prompted Chautauqua County Clerk Sandy Sopak to initiate a petition drive throughout the county.

"I learned just as everyone else did, through the news, that the state awarded the bid for production of new driver's licenses to the highest bidder, which is $38 million more than the current bid," Sopak said. "As soon as the news broke, Chautauqua County residents expressed their outrage at what appears to be an exorbitant waste of taxpayer money. If there's a legitimate reason for this award, the state hasn't shared it with us."

To give Chautauqua County residents a voice, the County Clerk's office is making petitions available throughout the county at each of the three DMV offices as well as the Office of the County Clerk. Anyone unable to visit a local office may have their name added by sending an email to Deputy County Clerk Tracie Kaminski Haskin at haskint@co.chautauqua.ny.us.

"According to the AP News report, The State Comptroller's office is reviewing the bid award and must make a determination before the award can be approved," Haskin said. "We don't know how long that may take so we're urging residents who oppose this award to visit one of our DMV offices in Jamestown, Mayville or Dunkirk and sign the petition as soon as possible. There also appears to be a lawsuit requesting the bid be reopened. We would like to get as many signatures to our state representatives as possible so our feelings can be known before final decisions are made. Anyone unable to get to one of the offices may email me their name and city of residence and it will be added to the list."